Yvonne Rogers

Geologists, biologists, climatologists, seismologists and other scientists nowadays use a diversity of sensing devices and measuring instruments to record aspects of the earth, in order to investigate, predict and reason about a particular aspect of the environment. A major part of their research involves mapping, matching and noticing patterns and anomalies from the masses of datasets that they collect over time. However, it is very difficult to become competent at accomplishing these forms of analyses. Local and global connections have to be continuously made when moving between the physical and digital worlds. How might we help students (and scientists) learn how to do this kind of complex interlinking and high-level reasoning? In my talk, I will describe an ongoing project I am involved in at Indiana University where a team of computer scientists, interaction designers and environmental scientists are developing networked mobile recording/measuring/communication tools, intended to be used by groups of students when out in the field. The tools have been designed to enable easy access, updating and comparison of a variety of contextually-relevant datasets, visualizations and information when measuring and sensing aspects of the environment. An underlying assumption is that by juxtaposing the activities of measuring and analysis in this way, students can begin to learn the art of grown-up science more effectively. To support this claim, I will present findings from a preliminary field study where groups of students used our tool to measure, hypothesize and analyze about how and why a wetland restoration site was changing over time.